Professional course

CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY DESIGN

The Contemporary Jewelry Design course offers 250 hours of study culminating in a professional certificate from the institute. With the acquisition of critical and technical skills, the contemporary designer is able to create jewelry in which the value is determined not only by the use of precious materials but also by the research and innovation that goes into the development of the design, as well as the skills needed to create it.

This course leading to a specialization in Contemporary Jewelry Design is targeted at anyone interested in acquiring the professional training necessary to become immediately competitive in the job market. The technical and creative skills developed in the course will allow the designer to
create contemporary jewelry whose value is determined not only by the use of precious materials but by the research and innovation that inspire the design, as well as the ability to create it. The contemporary jewelry designer works together with a team as the creator or art director, or individually as a modern artisan, using digital technology as an additional tool at his or her disposal: 3-D modelling (CAD) and virtual imaging, 3-D printing, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).

Course Outline

The course starts with an introduction to theoretical concepts soon followed by laboratory work in materials and technology under the tutelage of goldsmiths and professional artisans. The objective is to quickly achieve the manual skills necessary to design and create jewelry. Sketching by hand and producing computer-based drawing are fundamental skills that are addressed exhaustively in the course, starting from the basics: drawing is the bridge between imagination and reality and must be continuously refined. Laboratory practice allows students to work with the material and learn basic goldsmithing techniques, such as modelling with wax. The ability to use these techniques to create new, expressive designs distinguishes the Contemporary Jewelry Designer in the fashion and
jewelry industry: knowing how to interpret trends and translate them into objects is a fundamental aspect of marketing that prepares the designer for the job market. The goal of the course is to turn students into complete professionals, in both the creative and productive aspects of the
work. For this reason material relating to communication and marketing will also be
studied. In the final examination project, students will work independently to put into practice all of the material learned, under the instructors' supervision.